


Go the Distance

by shini_amaryllis



Category: Love Actually (2003), The Maze Runner Series - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Childhood Friends, Friends to Lovers, Happy Ending, Long-Distance Friendship, M/M, Texting, assumed one-sided attraction, mentions of child abuse, pretty much just a cute christmas fic, writing letters
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-24
Updated: 2018-12-24
Packaged: 2019-09-26 12:23:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,367
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17141699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shini_amaryllis/pseuds/shini_amaryllis
Summary: Having a crush on his classmate was never going to end well but distance makes the heart grow fonder and over the years a crush blooms into actual love and now the only thing standing in Newt's way is his fear of telling Thomas how he really feels. A Newtmas Love Actually-inspired fic





	Go the Distance

**Author's Note:**

> so, I got suddenly obsessed with the Maze Runner series and realized I'd never seen Love Actually, so here's a Newtmas Love Actually-inspired fic just in time for Christmas Eve

His name was Thomas Eddis and when he smiled the whole world lit up. He was an American foreign exchange student that was only in England because there were some issues going on at home, in New York, with his father and mother. His mum had sent him off to spend the school year abroad with his half-sister, Teresa. Apparently, it was a bit of a scandal, Thomas and Teresa being almost the same age and not knowing about each other until a few months previously, something about Thomas' father cheating on his mother with Teresa's mother.

Newt didn't really understand it. But Thomas and Teresa seemed to like each other enough, and you would never know that anything unfortunate was going on at home with how they laughed and smiled together.

Sometimes it seemed like Thomas looked in Newt's direction, eyes glowing, smile bright, and Newt's stomach flip-flopped, but then it was gone.

Everyone liked Thomas, it was like it was magnetic, it wasn't possible to _not_  like him. Even Gally, who'd initially detested Thomas -though Newt wasn't sure why- couldn't help but like him.

The one time Newt had dared to interact with him, he'd accidentally called him 'Tommy' and had turned bright red and ran away before he could say anything back.

Mum would've known what to do, but Mum wasn't here anymore and Newt had never dared to tell her about his crush on his classmate.

Telling Daniel might've been a mistake, though.

"So, let's go." Newt wanted to run to his room instead of face this. "We can definitely crack this, remember I was a kid once too."

Newt somehow doubted that.

"It's someone at school, right?" his stepfather asked.

"Yeah," Newt nodded.

"Good, good, and what does she, he, feel about you?"

" _He_ ," Newt stressed, "doesn't even know my name." It was nice that Daniel didn't blink at the fact it was a boy. "He probably despises me…he's sweet, and smart, and he's always racing Minho down the halls, and when he laughs the world gets brighter."

"Good, good," Daniel muttered before coming to sit beside Newt. "Well, basically, you're fucked, aren't you?"

Newt couldn't even deny it.

"And he's going back to America," Newt lamented, flopping back in the plush chair.

"Your boy's American?"

Newt's cheeks pinked. "Yes, he's American, and he's not my boy."

Daniel gave a half sort of smile. "And what's his name?"

"Thomas Eddis."

Daniel opened his mouth to say something, but then the door rang suddenly and they both jumped. "Hold that thought," he said before descending the stairs to open the door, blinking in surprise.

There was a kind-faced woman standing there, blue eyes soft with understanding of loss and beside her was a boy Newt's age but with darker hair and a smattering of moles on his cheeks. "Hello, Daniel, yes? Newt's father?"

"Step-father," Daniel couldn't help but correct automatically. "What can I do for you?"

The woman ran a hand through the boy's hair and he looked down at the small basket in his hands. Blueberry muffins. Newt's favorite fruit was blueberry and when his mother made blueberry muffins, his eyes would always light up.

"I'm Mary Agnes," the woman explained, "We heard about what happened to Joanna and why Newt wasn't in school today…so Thomas wanted to bring over some muffins that he made for Newt, if that's all right?"

Thomas, the boy Newt had a crush on…the one that he'd thought would hate him…had made him  _muffins_. That was absolutely adorable and still heartwarming in the face of their loss.

Daniel knelt down so that he was level with Thomas. His eyes were a lighter brown than Newt's, he noticed, almost amber in the light. He gave the nervous boy a smile. "I think he would appreciate that very much. Why don't you go up the stairs and give them to him?"

For a moment Thomas looked utterly petrified and flustered at the same time and he looked up to his -mother? Step-mother? He looked up to Mary and she gave him a kindly smile and Thomas squared his shoulders and inhaled sharply before heading up the stairs.

"Would you like some tea?" Daniel asked her.

"That would be lovely," Mary sighed, following him into the kitchen as he pulled out the kettle and tea bags. "He moped the whole day, Thomas, just because he couldn't see Newt."

"Really?" Daniel arched an eyebrow.

"He understands why, of course," Mary said quickly, "he can't see his own mum right now because she's trying to divorce his father and win sole custody of him, that's why he's here with me, and his half-sister Teresa."

"That's not difficult for him?" Daniel asked then in curiosity. "Knowing that his father had another family?"

"I think he's angrier with his father for lying about it for years to his mother…I mean, I've been through the whole process already; Janson…is a piece of work. Luckily, we were never married and Teresa hates him, so I don't have to worry about sharing her with him but Stephanie…she's actually married to him and it's hard to get rid of a rat like Janson...especially after—" Mary stopped suddenly, focusing on dredging her tea bag.

Daniel could see where it was heading. "Did he hurt him? Thomas?"

Mary's mouth thinned. "Yes," she said finally, her words thick, "I think it was what convinced Stephanie to finally file for divorce…she'd only met me a few months earlier but the next thing I knew, she was flying Thomas out to live with my daughter and I while Thomas attended the same school and she could sort out the divorce and custody."

That surprised Daniel. "She left her son with someone she barely knew?"

Mary sighed again, taking a sip of her tea. "Unfortunately, most of Stephanie's family is either dead or estranged from her…she was kicked out of the house when she was seventeen and I think Janson kept her pretty isolated from any friends. Ironically the 'other woman' ended up being the closest thing to a friend as she got." She snorted at that. "It's been good for Thomas, though, getting away from it all…and Teresa helps, and the school, and Newt, of course," she added quickly, "Thomas adores him."

"Does he?" Daniel's lips twitched in amusement.

"Quite literally swept him off his feet, I'd say. He ran home the first day of school and asked me if it was okay to be into guys instead of girls…I told him 'if your dad can turn me off men, you're allowed to like as many boys as you want'."

Daniel couldn't stifle his laughter at that.

* * *

Newt was fairly recognizable to Thomas, light hair, deep brown eyes, and almost always the hint of a smile, but when Newt's step-father had directed him up the stairs he could find no hint of it. He peered down the hallway to see a room that looked like it might belong to Newt.

Thomas swallowed thickly, holding onto the basket of blueberry muffins still-warm, standing outside the room that bared the warning 'Go Away!'

He knocked.

"Read the sign, Daniel!" came the call from within and Thomas bit his lip before knocking again.

A moment later the door was wrenched open and Newt's face was twisted in annoyance that froze when he saw who was outside his door. Brown eyes widened. "Tomm-Thomas!" Newt stumbled over his name and turned bright pink, averting his eyes in his embarrassment, missing how Thomas beamed.

"Hi," Thomas offered helpfully, "your uh step-dad let me in."

"What're you doing here?" Newt finally asked after a moment of trying to get his tongue to function again.

"Well, um, you weren't at school today and I thought, um—" Thomas looked down to the basket clutched in his hands. "I made you blueberry muffins," he blurted, "they're your favorite, right?"

Newt blinked, surprised and flustered. When had he said anything about blueberry muffins being his favorite? The beginning of the year when Miss Strong asked them what their favorite sweet was and Newt had said a muffin while everyone else had said an actual sweet. Thomas had said red velvet cupcakes, he remembered.

"You remembered?" Newt's eyes practically glowed and Thomas' cheeks burned, brightening with color as he handed over the basket, their fingers brushing.

Thomas rubbed the back of his head awkwardly, not wanting to admit he'd only paid attention to what Newt liked because he'd been so sidetracked by the light glancing off Newt's hair and had remained as absolutely distracted by him every day since.

He opened his mouth to say something more when Mary called out "Thomas, its time to go! You and Teresa have got school tomorrow!"

"Coming!" he shouted over his shoulder. "Sorry, got to go, but I hope you come back to school soon."

He spared one last glance to Newt before heading after Mary, leaving Newt to stare at the muffins in awe.

* * *

"So, how'd it go?"

Thomas groaned into his pillow, making Teresa giggle. "I can never be seen in public again."

"I think its sweet!" she told him. "Making him his favorite muffins…I mean, he obviously likes you—"

"Wait, what?" Thomas rocketed up into a sitting position, removing the pillow from his face. "How d'you know?"

Teresa stared at him. "…Tom, you're not  _serious,_  are you? I swear, you're all a bunch of idiots…Minho told you last week he liked you!"

"I thought he meant as friends! Newt's always avoiding me!"

" _Yeah!"_  Teresa barked out a laugh. "Because he's got a crush and is terrible at hiding it!"

"No!" Thomas paused. "Wait,  _really?"_

"Thomas." Teresa snorted loudly. "He called you 'Tommy' and looked like he wanted to die of embarrassment."

"I thought he hated me!"

"There's no hope for you," Teresa decided after a long moment only to be jarred by the sharp sound of a ringing phone.

"Janson," came Mary's voice like ice, and Thomas tensed, "stop calling, I'm not going to let you speak to him…no, I don't think you  _do!_  You put your son in the  _hospital,_  you don't get to speak to him after that!"

There was the sound of the phone being slammed down and Thomas flinched, hugging his pillow against his chest while Teresa moved to sit directly beside him on the bed.

"Your mum's gonna win, you know," Teresa muttered, leaning her head against Thomas' shoulder.

Thomas didn't say anything, because what if she didn't? What if Thomas had to go back to his dad? That scared him more.

* * *

"What do I do?" Newt demanded of Daniel.

"Did you ever think about confessing your feelings?" his step-father offered, pausing Titanic in the midst of Newt's meltdown.

" _No!"_  Newt was absolutely horrified at the suggestion. "What if he doesn't like me?"

Daniel snorted, running a few fingers through Newt's hair. "Listen, kid, he made you your favorite muffins and brought them in person…and if what Mary says is true, he likes you."

Newt turned red, averting his eyes. "He was probably just trying to be nice about Mum."

"I think that was part of it," Daniel agreed, "but he didn't have to make you your favorite muffin or even bring you one for that…and he didn't have to be flustered when he left, but he was."

Newt rubbed at his own flushed cheeks.

"When's he leaving?"

"Tomorrow," Newt muttered. It was the last day of school tomorrow, and then he was heading back to America to be with his parents, even though the idea of being in the same room as his father made him almost physically ill. He'd be back for the next semester…but what if his father made him stay in America? What if Newt never saw him again?

"Well, why don't you return the favor?"

"Huh?" Newt had completely lost track of the conversation.

"What does he like to eat?" Daniel probed.

"Red velvet cupcakes," Newt said embarrassingly fast.

"Okay," Daniel said, "let's make him some red velvet cupcakes, then…and maybe you could write him a nice note with them."

The thought was as petrifying as it was liberating. It was easier to write a letter than to tell him everything in person, wasn't it?

"Okay," Newt decided, "okay."

The only problem? Newt wasn't sure  _what_  to write.

He had to think of something, though, something that would make Thomas remember him when he came back from America…

* * *

When Thomas was packing up the last of his things in his school desk before the flight left in four hours when he found something in his desk that he'd overlooked during the day. It was a small box with a letter attached to the top with his name on it.

Thomas frowned in confusion before opening the letter.

_Thomas,_

_I'm really bad at saying how I feel, so I thought I'd write them down for you instead. It's okay if you want to throw this note away when you're done reading it, I've already thrown away three different versions of it._

_I think you're amazing, maybe not perfect, no one's perfect, I know I'm not, but when you smile it's like the whole world is a little brighter, like all the darkness is being held back. I like that you always make sure everyone's okay and that you stand up to bullies even if they're bigger and taller than you. I like when you forget to put your contacts in and have to come to school in your glasses. I like that you listen, that you're kind, that you've got a big heart._

_So, I hope that your dad doesn't make the Christmas holiday too difficult._

_-Newt_

"You can still throw it away," came a quiet voice and Thomas whipped around to see Newt standing in the doorway, awkward and tentative, like he was waiting for Thomas to do just that.

But Thomas didn't want to. The letter was handwritten and it meant something, especially if he'd written three more before finally giving him this one.

"I like it, though," he said, a wide smile on his lips, growing wider still when Newt blushed to the tips of his ears. Then he opened the box it had been on top of, letting out an excited gasp. "Are these red velvet cupcakes?"

"Well," Newt cleared his throat, rubbing the back of his head, "you said they were your favorite."

Thomas beamed, which didn't help the heat flooding Newt's cheeks, and Thomas couldn't help moving towards Newt to duck forward and press a light kiss to his cheek, impressed by his own daring. "Thanks…not just for the cupcakes, the letter too, I liked it."

"Really?" it almost came out as a squeak, delighted and flustered.

Thomas' smile could've lit up the whole room alone. "And I don't mind when you call me Tommy, I like it." He gathered up the rest of his things, still smiling brightly. "See you after Christmas, Newt."

"Right-yes-Christmas-" Newt floundered briefly, his hand still over his cheek where Thomas had kissed him. "See you…Tommy."

Thomas cast one last grin back at him before he disappeared and Newt didn't even notice when Daniel came up beside him. "So? How'd it go?"

Newt's flushed grin was the best answer he got.

* * *

Christmas came and went but Thomas didn't come back.

* * *

Two weeks after school started a letter came for Newt in the mail with an American return address under the name Thomas Eddis. Newt almost lunged for it when Daniel handed it over.

_Newt,_

_Sorry I didn't get to come back for the rest of the semester, but things are getting really bad at home that Mom just decided to keep me there instead of sending me back again, and I think she said something about Dad using that in court. I wanted to come back and I'm gonna miss you and Minho and Fry and Teresa and even Gally, but I guess we'll have to settle for long distance for now._

_Mom says I have to spend every other week with Dad, though, and that scares me. I don't want to be alone with him, but that's what Mom says until the investigation into him is finished. I'm going to avoid him as much as possible._

_But I loved your cupcakes! And your letter! I'm keeping it and definitely not throwing it away!_

_With love,_

_Thomas_

Newt swallowed his delight and embarrassment that Thomas was keeping the letter, but something bloomed in his chest at how he assumed there'd be a letter back.

* * *

_Tommy,_

_Your dad sounds terrible and Teresa keeps cursing him at lunchtime and getting in trouble, but I hope it gets better soon. I don't think it would end well if I tried to send you some more cupcakes so I just drew some at the end of this letter, I hope that works._

_Gally's decided to wage all-out war on Headmistress Page and so far, he's got a detention every day of the week for the next two weeks, so I think its going well. Fry's decided he's going to be a chef and keeps bringing concoctions to school for us to try. So far, its half-good, half-bad, but it's kinda fun to see what he makes for us (we always bring our lunches in case it's terrible)._

_Minho keeps complaining because no one can run as fast as you and he's got no one to challenge with running down the halls. I tried it once and regretted it. Teresa didn't even bother trying, she really hates running._

_-Newt_

* * *

_Group:_ _**Manipulative Wankers** _ _has been opened_

**Newt:**  I want you all to know that I hate you

 **Teresa:**  with all that flirting no wonder Tom is smitten

 **Newt:**  …

 **Minho:**  XD come on T, you know that won't work on Newt, besides, we're planning a love confession not taking the mickey out

 **Fry:**  lol

 **Gally:**  what was wrong with Newt just telling him how he feels? Is that too boring now?

 **Minho:**  Brenda must love you lots lol

 **Teresa:**  *rolling eyes emoji*

 **Newt:**  *exasperated emoji*

 **Fry:**  Newt's pretty good at bass he could serenade him

 **Teresa:**  OOOH

 **Minho:**  YASSSS

 **Gally** : does Newt even know how to sing?

 **Teresa:**  OF COURSE HE DOES

 **Minho:**  OF COURSE HE DOES HEY SING ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS IS YOU *laughing emoji*

 **Fry:**  omg no Newt don't plz don't I'll never recover

 **Newt:**  I'm not singing All I Want For Christmas Is You

 **Minho:**  EVEN IF ITS TRUE 😉

 **Newt:**  …I hate you

Newt left the group, tossing his phone on his bed with a sigh. His room had changed a lot in the past few years just as he'd changed. His guitar sat on its stand, waiting to be used as it had been frequently during the semester. Deciding to major in music had surprisingly not killed his desire to play music, by some miracle. Somehow Thomas' choice of computer engineering sounded so much worse, but he'd been pretty animated about it the last time they'd written (they texted too, but there was something about having each other's written thoughts and feelings on paper that neither wanted to admit that they craved).

Minho and Thomas had an apartment together in New York where they both went to school and Minho live-texted Newt Thomas' response to Newt's letters, which made Newt's heart flutter.

'Call him Tommy' Minho laughed, 'he really loves that'

They'd never really put a label on it, what they were, it never felt important or like they had the time to do so. Thomas' parents divorce and his and his mother's continuous moving around made things difficult, and then Newt had been in that accident that had left him with a permanent limp that Daniel still fretted about. It felt like the universe had been conspiring against them since they were twelve, coming up with ways to keep them apart.

They'd tried to meet up once before when they were sixteen, but their schedules hadn't worked out. Newt had been half-grateful at the time because how do you tell the boy you used to have a crush on that you'd fallen  _deeply, impossibly_ , and  _irrevocably_  in love with him?

Newt wished there was a manual for this sort of thing.

Then he got an idea.

Teresa answered on the first ring and Newt blurted out "Can't Help Falling In Love."

" _Sorry?"_  Teresa asked in total confusion.

"The song, Can't Help Falling In Love, that's what I'll sing."

There was a stilted silence on the other end. " _Newt, you know you don't have to, right?"_  Teresa asked cautiously.  _"You don't even have to tell him, and you don't have to serenade him."_

Newt could hear what she was saying. "I know," he said, but now he was buzzing with excitement, "but I want to."

" _Good,"_  she said.

* * *

It was great seeing Mary and Teresa after so long. Thomas had gotten used to the grainy quality of his and his mother's skype calls that it was like seeing in full color when they'd hugged him and Minho in the airport. Minho had swung Teresa around, making her laugh loudly. It had been awhile since he'd been back to England, too. Not as long as Thomas, of course, Minho had been fourteen when his family had moved back to Korea, but he'd had more chances to meet up with their friends than Thomas had.

"I'm crashing at Gally's place tonight," Minho waved him off with a wink that Thomas didn't understand. "And! Don't forget! We're all meeting up for lunch tomorrow!"

He darted away before Thomas could ask him about Newt, leaving Thomas with his step-mother and half-sister.

"Come on, kiddo," Mary said after getting a good look at him, "we've got your room ready for you and everything."

Teresa grabbed his bag with a grin, still sniggering about how his glasses made him look like the computer nerd he was going to completely be one day when he finally graduated. "I can still find a hotel if it's too much—"

"You're not a bother, Tom," Teresa scoffed, "stop worrying about it."

Thomas smiled.

Unfortunately, Thomas only had a few days off, so he didn't bother with unpacking, only fumbling with his phone when it gave a sudden buzz and Thomas couldn't help how his heart fluttered at the sight of Newt's name appearing across the screen with the message of:  _Open your window_

Excitement flooded Thomas' veins and he flung himself to the window, practically throwing it open to see a lanky figure standing on the sidewalk below. Newt had grown out his hair a little, but it was still golden and ruffled in the wind. His cheeks were pink but Thomas couldn't tell if that was from the cold or from something else entirely (he hoped the latter).

It was only when he moved that Thomas noticed the black case on his back that was placed on the ground and opened. Thomas' eyes widened when Newt drew out the guitar and began to strum the strings and pleasant tune that sounded vaguely familiar, though he couldn't place it, swaying as he played it, not quite raising his head to meet Thomas' eyes until he opened his mouth to sing.

" _Wise men say only fools rush in  
But I can't help falling in love with you"_

Thomas' breath caught in his throat.

" _Shall I stay?_  
Would it be a sin  
If I can't help falling in love with you?"

 _Like a river flows surely to the sea_  
Darling so it goes  
Some things are meant to be"

He stilled his hand on the strings to reach it out in Thomas' direction with his hand.

" _Take my hand, take my whole life too  
For I can't help falling in love with you."_

Thomas' heart was in his throat and he couldn't help reaching his own hand out in response, despite the distance between them, and that was when he made the decision to run down the stairs and open the front door, standing on the porch in the cold, in his socks in time to hear:

"— _Some things are meant to be_  
Take my hand, take my whole life too  
For I can't help falling in love with you."

Newt approached him, his fingers still playing against the guitar, but Thomas could see more clearly now the warmth in his brown eyes, the shy smile curving his lips, that they were now the same height. Newt took one step, then the next, then he was standing before Thomas and Thomas had never felt so exhilarated and so  _impossibly_  head over heels.

They were almost chest-to-chest and Newt was swaying gently with the soft finish of  _"For I can't help falling in love with you."_

Thomas acted first, before Newt had really even finished, his hands had cupped Newt's cheeks and he'd kissed him with as much fervor as he was capable.

"Yeah, Newt! Get it!"

"Really, guys? Couldn't you be more subtle?"

"You better be recording this, Minho, so we can play it at their wedding."

In the back of his mind Thomas heard their friends - _damn_ , had Newt planned this?- but before he could pull back to complain, Newt's fingers had speared into his hair, kissing back with just as much enthusiasm. The guitar bit into Thomas' stomach but he didn't care as he wrapped his arms around Newt's neck just in time for him to pull back briefly to say "Tommy—" only to be cut off again by Thomas' kiss.

Newt certainly didn't complain, one of his arms moving around to Thomas' back, locking them together.

"I love you," Thomas murmured against Newt's mouth and Newt's grin stretched impossibly wide.

And at lunch the next day, they sat next to each other, holding hands beneath the table, blushing at the coarse jokes their friends made at their expense, not thinking about how long it had taken, just that they had reached their destination by going the distance.

And when Newt leaned over to kiss Thomas' flushed cheek, he thought it was all worth it.


End file.
